AROMA

I don’t like to bash places because I feel that every owner puts his heart and soul into an establishment. Yet, when you read so many positive reviews about a place that the owner cares about his/her customers one can get rather excited. Yet, when this caring filters into the realm of disturbing one’s meal, well it can bring that warm environment that everyone talks about to a sudden halt.

Maybe it’s because I know so many owners, chefs and owner/chef of places that I sometimes lose perspective on how people really enjoy knowing the Captain of the Ship. I agree there is something neat about walking into a place and impressing a friend by knowing the chef or owner. Yet, when that chef or owner hovers over your meal and continues to pummel you with information it can get nauseating, this was the case with Italian newcomer: Aroma on East. 4th Street.

Vito was in constant supply of telling me about my wine and other wines that would go with my meal. I didn’t mind the distribution of knowledge bestowed upon me, but I already had a full glass of wine in my hand. Thus, why keep pushing other wines on me?

Food

If haven’t gotten the groove of a place or seen a dish on another table that looks interesting I tend to stay very basic. I use my basic test because it’s a measuring stick to see if I would like to visit the place in the future and try something more adventuress.

Spaghetti with Meat Gravy

My spaghetti arrived in a small to medium sized bowl which I didn’t mind if the taste would have been outstanding. Yet, I was really disappointed to find that the home made pasta was dry, barley warm and very al-dente (I mean hard). I don’t mind if people use celery, carrot and garlic as a base for their gravy, but please don’t leave chunks and chunks of the carrots and celery in the sauce, they are suppose to breakdown a lot more than what was presented here.

Maybe this wasn’t their best meal since they were constantly trying to push the suckling pig on me. Note: Only recommend a dish to a customer one time or else he/she thinks it’s rotting in the fridge and you are trying to get rid of it.

Friend’s Meal

My friend’s salad on her fixed meal had no flavor and was just spinach leaves together with no real excitement. I have been to sushi corner joints that take more risks on their salads than Aroma. I would have thought this was a place that would take more inventive on pushing one’s palate than just a bit of cheese and walnuts on the salad, I say it again, no imagination.

Desert

Although the desert was rather lacking a sweet flavor, I have found that many Italian places don’t serve super sweet deserts as we eat here in the states. Not to mention there was this dark super rich choloclate stuck to the bottom of the slice of cake (seemed like it was there to keep it in place more than taste) which threw me off a bit to be honest.

Bill

I thought the bill was o.k. but it was still very much overpriced to be honest for the sub-par food. I think the total bill was about 95.00 dollars and although that isn’t that much, one can do the same or better at Babbo to be honest.

In closing, I know what I’m saying is contrary to what most people are saying. I’m not high brow what so ever, but I do eat out just about every night here in the city so I have a diverse palate. There is a chance that I could have paid a visit on the wrong night. They do have a cool drawing and if you win you get 100.00 dollar gift certificate.